Electric connector



July 18, 1944. M. ALDEN 2,353,628

ELECTRIC CONNECTOR Original Filed Aug. 5, 1940 INVENTOR MZZZamAZdew igORNEY Patented July 18, 1944 ELECTRIC CONNECTOR Milton Alden, Brockton,Mass. Original application August 3, 1940, Serial No.

Divided and this application March 11. 1942, Serial No. 434,274

Claims.

This invention relates to a socket and plug combination forinterconnecting electrical circuits and is a division of applicationSerial Number 350,485, filed August 3, 1940. More particularly itrelates to the socket of such a combination as used for the connectionof electrical circuits which are carrying radio frequency currents, orwhich may be connected or exposed to such'currents, so that completeshielding of the circuits is desirable.

One object of my invention is to provide a plug and socket combinationin which complete shielding of both portions exists when the plug hasbeen inserted in the socket.

Another object of this invention is to provide a structure of the typedescribed in which the shielding circuits of the two portions will beefi'ectively and automatically connected together when the plug isinserted into the socket.

Yet a further purpose of my invention is to provide a comp-act andinexpensive plug and socket connector which shall afford a secureconnection, both mechanical and electrical, between not only theinsulated circuits passing therethrough, but also between the shieldingportions of the circuits passing therethrough.

Referring now to the drawing for the purpose of better explaining myinvention:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of one form of my invention having certainparts broken away.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the structure of Fig. 1, illustrating amethod of fastening the and the shield of my socket into a single uniFig. 3 is a top plan view of the insulating body of the socket proper,showing the contacts in place.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the locating ring used with this form ofsocket.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation. partly in section. showing the assembly ofthe plug and part of the socket of my invention, illustrating the mannerin which the shielding portions of these two members are automaticallyconnected together upon the insertion of the plug into the socket, takenon the planes of the line 55 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the metallic shield ID of the socketsurrounds the top of the insulating body H. and is fastened thereto bymeans of ears l2 which may be bent over the rim l3 of the insulatingbody, as indicated in Fig. 2. This rim has lateral projections l3 todetermine its angular relationship with respect to shield l0.

Body H is provided with recesses or apertures H, for the receptiontherein of suitable contact members [5, adapted to receive the prongs ofa plug inserted into the socket. I prefer to provide aperturessufiicient in number for the maximum number of contacts which may beemployed with any particular socket and then to place within theseapertures only the number of contacts which I desire to use-three beingshown in the present instance. The lower portions of these contactmembers may be formed in the shape of tabs or wiring lugs l6, extendingthrough the rear surface of the socket body for the purpose of affordingexternal connection to the contact members, These tabs may have embossedportions It as shown in Fig. 2, to aid in retaining them in the slotsl4, extending from recesses I4 to the bottom of the socket, whileallowing considerable play to the upper end of the contact so that thelatter may adjust itself to the entering prong of a plug.

These tabs l6 may optionally be provided with apertures (not shown)extending therethrough for the'easier fastening thereto of conductors.The metal shield l0 may conveniently be formed with a rim l8 extendingaround its periphery, and also may have apertures I9 extending throughlateral portions 20 of the shield, which apertures may be utilized toattach the socket to a panel or other support. Additional tabs 2| maydepend from the lateral portions of the shield, and may be provided withholes (not shown), for the fastening thereto of grounding conductors,either to furnish a ground to the socket itself or to one or more of thesocket contacts, or to afford a ground to some other member of anassembly.

A cover washer 25 of insulating material is interposed between the topof body H and the metal shield. This washer is provided with apertures25 correspondent to the apertures l4, so as to guide the plug prongsinto proper relation with the contact members l5 and with angularlocating projections 25", registering with projections l3 of the bodyproper. The contacts may conveniently be made slightly shorter than theapertures l4, so that washer 25 will not touch the tops of therespective contacts and thus make short leakage paths therebetween.

As shown in detail in Fig. 5, the metal shield covering a large part ofthe socket may be formed of a single integral piece of metal, shaped soas to have lateral extensions 20, and a dependent connecting tab 2|(Fig. 2). Ears l2 are bent over the rear of the socket body on oppositesides of the projections l3, l3 and 25", 25" so as to hold them firmlywithin the shield body and prevent rotation. The upper edge of theupwardly extending rim l8 has a series of fingers 30 which are bentinwardly until they are almost parallel to the inner surface of the rim.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 4, I provide a ring 3|, of insulating material,the periphery of which is provided with a series of indentations 32.This ring lies on top of the insulating washer 25, and the fingers 30 ofthe metal shell then fit into the indentations in such fashion as tofirmly hold the ring in place. This ring serves to aid in the locationof the prongs of a plug, at the time that it is being inserted into thesocket, and also to prevent accidental contact between the prongs of theplug and the metal shell of the socket, which might give rise toshort-circuits of an undesirable nature, when a plug is being inserted.Whenv a plug has been inserted until the prongs rest upon the surface ofthe washer 25, they are so positioned by the ring 3| that a revolvingmotion of the plug will guide the prongs of the plug into their properapertures 25 in the washer 25 Fig. 5 also illustrates the firm contactwhich is made between the shielding circuits of the socket and of theplug, when once the latter has merely been inserted into the socket.Especially it is to be noted that the termination of the plug shieldlies within the turned-over rim I8 rather than merely abutting it, sothat the possibility of open space existing between these two portionsof the shielding, by a slight lateral displacement of the plug iscompletely eliminated, a fault frequently found in existing structuresof this type.

I claim:

1. A radio socket comprising a base of molded insulation having contactcontaining recesses open from above and terminal outlet slots open belowand having a laterally projecting flange at its upp r edge, a metallicsupporting member having a tubular body one end of which as lugsembracing the upper edge of the base and interlocked with said flange,the other end of the tubular body having inturned resilient ears forgripping the cylindrical body of a plug when its prongs are insertedinto the contact recesses.

2. A prong contact socket including an elongated cylindrical insulatingbody having an annular flange at one end thereof, and having elon.

gated recesses in said flanged end, an insulating disc on the surface ofthe recessed end of the body having openings aligned with the recesses,an insulating guide ring on said disc around said openings and ametallic shield member having a cylindrical body portion extendingoutwardly from the flanged end of the elongated body and embracing saidflanged end, said disc and ring, integral lugs on the shield member forholding the parts together and integral inturned resilient fingers ininterlocking engagement with the ring and adapted to resiliently engagethe body of an inserted plug member.

3. A radio socket comprising a tubular metallic shield member having acylindrical shell with inturned resilient fingers for gripping the bodyof an inserted plug and shielding the same and an insulating body havingrecesses containing contacts to be engaged by the prongs of the insertedplug, said shield-member embracing said body around said contacts andshielding the circuits thereof.

4. A radio socket comprising a base formed of insulating material andhaving clrcumferentially spaced recesses open at their upper ends toreceive the prongs of an inserted plug, contacts mounted in saidrecesses to be engaged by the prongs and having wire terminals beneaththe base, a laterally projecting flange on said base, a tubular metallicsupporting shield member hav ing portions embracing said flange andhaving inturned resilient fingers above the base forming means forreceiving and gripping the body of the inserted plug when the prongs ofthe plug are in engagement with the contacts in the base, said shieldmember serving automatically to shield the parts of the socket and theplug when the plug is inserted.

5. A radio socket comprising a tubular metallic shield member having acylindrical shell with inturned resilient fingers for gripping the bodyof an inserted plug and shielding the same and an insulating body havingrecesses containing contacts to be engaged by the prongs of the insertedplug, said shield member embracing said body around said contacts andshielding the circuits thereof, said shield member having grounding lugsintegral therewith.

MILTON ALDEN.

